Combined lamp socket and switch



May 26, 1942. F. n. BRYANT ETAL 4,

COMBINED LAMP SOCKET AND SWITCH I Filed April 9, 1941 Inventors:

- Frank D. Brgant,

William "F2. Young,

wwww

Their Attorney.

Patented May 26, 1942 COMBINED LAMP SOCKET AND SWITCH Frank 1). Bryant; Young, Fairileld,

Strattord, and William. R. Conn., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York 1941, Serial No. 387,634

1 Claim. (01. 173-350) Application April 9,

Our invention relates to a combined lamp socket and switch for tubular electric discharge lamps, for example, fluorescent lamps of the type now in commercial use.

An object of our invention is the provision of a lamp socket for tubular lamps which incorporates a switch for operating the lamp thereby obviating the necessity of a separate remote starting switch."

Another object'of our invention is to provide an integrally arranged switch mechanism for a lamp socket of the type in which a tubular lamp fit ment through the slots l1 and until the lowermostprong contacts the edge of the opening l6; thereafter the prongs are rotated to bring them into engagement with the contact blades ofthesocket. s i

Turning 'now to our invention comprising a combined switch'mechanism and socket and referring to Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, it'will be seen that we have provided the contact members of the Marshaus socket with a switch mechanism,

v the arrangement being such that current to the is mounted by rotation, for example, a socket of the type shown and described in the Marshaus Patent Re. dated August 27, 1940 and assigned to the same assignee as the instant invention. i

In the accompanying drawing,Fig. 1 is aview of a tubular electric lamp mounted in sockets one of which is provided with an operating switch in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the socket showing theswitch operating means; Fig. 3 is a viewof the interior of the socket; Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the socket and switch elements; Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the socket taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a front view of the socket showing the lamp prongs in seated position.

Referring to the drawing, we have illustrated a tubular electric lamp III, for example, a fluorescent lamp, supported at eachend in a lamp socket II, the left-hand socket being provided with an operating switch in accordance with our invention. Each end of the lamp is provided with spaced contact prongswhich support thelamp in the socket; the socket is shown by way of example as being of the type described in the Marshaus Patent Re. 21,545,;assigned, to the same assignee as the instant invention. The lamp prongs, designated l2, are shown in seated position'in the socket by Fig. 6.

For a brief description of the socket of the Marshaus' patent, "reference may be made to Fig. 6. This socket comprises a housing N5 of insulating material, such as a molded plastic,

K in the front face of which is formed an annular opening IS. A slot l'l extends from the opening to the outer edge l8 of the housing. Disposed centrally of the opening 16 is a guiding. stud I9 formedwitha diametrical slot 20 in alignmentwith the slot l1. Contact members 2| and 22 are disposed within the housing on opposite sides of the stud [9 in the space defined by the opening 16. The lamp prongs are mounted in the socket by moving them laterally in aligncontact prongsof the lamp is controlled by the mechanism. In constructing the socketpthe housing I5 is provided with a recess 23, in the side opposite that in which the opening I6 is formed, which recess is divided into two compartments 24 and 25 by a dividing wall 26. The wall is formed integrally with the housing and extends across the space defined'by the opening [6 and carries the stud l9 which cooperates with the contact membersand opening in the manner described above. The contact member 2! is located in thecompartment 24; it is provided at its upper end with a lamp prong engaging re cessed portion 21 and at its lower end with a laterally extending terminal portion 28 carrying a binding screw 29; The terminal portion of the contact member rests on ledges 30 in an enlargement 24 of the compartment 24 in'the base of the "housing whilethe main portion of the contact blade is biased by an abutment 3| into engagement with the guide part 19. Accordingly, when the lamp prongs are seated in the socket, one of the prongs flexes the contactblade against the abutment 31, thereby insuring good electrical contact between the lamp prong and the corresponding socket contact. I

The other contact 22 is likewise formed with a recessed portion 32 for receiving the other lamp prong, but instead of being provided with a terminal portion the blade 22 extends straight downwardly and rests on a ledge 33 in the enlargement 25' of the compartment 25 formed in the-base of the housing. Located along the length of the contact member 22 is a switch blade 34 which is formed offlexible material such as spring bronze and which is fastened at one endin anyv suitable manner, as by spot welding, to the con tact member 22 at the point 35. At itsbther end, the switch blade 34 is formed with a laterally attending arm 36 provided with a cam surface Cooperating with the switch blade 34 is an operating means comprising a carrier 38 of insulating material provided with an operating hana bearing opening'42 formed in the wall 26. Co-

operating with the'shorting member is a second fixed contact blade '43 which rests upon the di- .CFI

vidingwall 26; a portionfof this blade extends beneath the rotatable carrier 38 and remains,

shorting member148: The- I another;90"degrees brings the insulating portion 7 inengagement with the cam 31 opening the cir-.

in contact with the opposite end of thebl ade 43 rests on a ledge '44 formed in the lower portion of the wall 28 and is provided with a laterally extendingportion securedinany suitable manner,'as by. spot welding, to anangularlyshaped terminal member 45. The terminal member is provided with a'binding screw 46 for connection to the lamp operat.-' ing circuit. In assembled position,"the elige of the terminal member rests on a ledgeI33in the i side wall of the compartment'25. In orderto in.- sulate the fixed'contact blade 43 from the movable contact=member--22, a piece of; insulating material-41, such as sheet fiber, is disposed between these-elements. The insulating piece 41 is formed with, two angularly: extending 81171548 and 49,' the part 48 resting between the lower endof the contact-member and ,the vertical iscovered by aplate of insulating. material50;

such as fiheet-fiber orthelike, held in-position by a, screw threaded into anopening 52in the dividing wall of the housing. The closure plate bears tightly against the fixed contact-blade arm of the terminal member liwhile the part i 49 .underlies the lower endof the fixed contact blade 43. andprevents accidental engagement 43 and holds it in position as well as the terminal member 45 and theinsulating separator 41. For

wiring the binding posts 29. and *48- ;.the closure plate is formed with conductorreceivingslots 53. The'upper portion of: the recess is closed by a coverflmember 54 which 'is'formedof insulat= ing material, suchas a molded plastic; The member .54 is throughwhich the handle of the socket; The cover is held in position by a set screw 51 threaded into an opening 58 in the dividing wall'26. 'Since the fixed contact blade 43 rests on the wall 26, in order to avoid contact with the set screw, the blade is formed with an enlarged making contact therewith. means that the exposed set screw 51 cannot make. contactwith the live parts within the housing. The cover 54 is operated simply-by to turn the carrier.

The carrier shaped as arectangle and the shorting member 40, extends around opposite edges of therectangle so that it presents opposite exposed contact surfaces for 1. engagement: with thecam surface 3] of: the blade 34 which is formed with ,a recess 55 for re-: ceiving the carrier 38 and with an opening 55 39 extends to the rear portion having an opening. 59* 'throughwhich the set screw passes without at all times.

spring biased into engagement with the carrier Rotating the-carrier presents either the shorting member'- 40 or the insulating edge of the carrier for engagement with the cam surface 31.. Since the shorting member is at all times in contact with the. fixed blade 43, a circuit is closed between the terminal 45 and the socket contact blade 22 when the. shorting member. 44 and cam 31 makecontact..' Rotating the carrier cuit through the switch. I

' Since, the socket contact member 22 is flexed awayfrom the guiding stud l 9 and likewise away fromi the carrierup'on insertion of the lamp prongs within the socket, the additional contact The combined lamp socket and switch is aim nected in circuit with the fluorescent. lamp:,.in the usual way'so that the lamp cathode atqthe corresponding end of the lamp-is in series with:

the terminal portions of the socket by. mounting the lamp, prongs in the socket. The socket at theother end of the-lamp is a conventional type.

The-cathodes at each-endof the lamp are. con-- nected inseries with the conventional starting mechanism, and ballast by appropriate wiring) a to the sockets and the power supply.. 7 The switch; I mechanism thencontrols the supply of currentto the'lamp. I, m I I I While our invention has been illustratedwnd described asin'corporated {in a lamp socket of the type described in-the Marshauspatent, it should be manifest that it maybe utilizedwith other forms of socketssince the operation of the switch is not dependent upon'xany particular form or arrangement oithe lamp contacts.."?An advantage of using a lamp. socket of the type described is that it has been possible to provide an extremely compact .arrangement of switch mechanism and socket.

What we claim' as new; anddesire to secure Letters Patent of the United States is? .In' a .supporting device vfor a'iamp having spaced contact prongs; a housing of insulating material having two'compartments separatedbya wall, a contact member in each compartment for engaging the lamp prongs, one oi. said contact members being provided with terminal means for connection to a lamp operating circuit, the'other contact member being normally insulated from the circuit, a switch blade carried by'the said: other contact member, a second switch blade mounted on said dividing wall and being provided with terminal means for connection to'the lamp operating circuit, a member of insulating material rotatably mountedon said wall, a conducting element carried by-s'aid member, said con ducting' element beingv continuously in I contact withtsaicl second mentioned switch blade and adapted to I engage'said first-mentioned switch blade for placing the said other'contac't member in the lamp'operating circuit. j 1 I FRANK D. BRYANT.

- wnnmm a. YOUN 

